Hyundai Hope On Wheels Presents Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital At Vanderbilt With $50,000 Hyundai Impact Award To Support Pediatric Cancer Research

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Hope On Wheels® will today present Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt with a $50,000 Hyundai Impact Award. Vanderbilt is one of 25 recipients of this year's award, which is given to pediatric oncology departments at select children's hospitals nationwide. The grant funds will support the work of Dr. Adam Esbenshade. Dr. Esbenshade plans to use data to create a risk prediction model to predict blood stream infections in pediatric oncology patients with severe neutropenia.

In 2017, Hope On Wheels will award $15 million toward pediatric cancer research and programs. This brings the organization's donation total to $130 million since Hyundai joined the fight against pediatric cancer in 1998. With this latest grant, Vanderbilt has received more than $1.1 million from Hope On Wheels.

"Throughout the country, talented doctors are working tirelessly to help kids fight cancer by conducting research or providing bedside care," said Scott Fink, chairman, Hyundai Hope On Wheels Board of Directors. "Our goal at Hope On Wheels is to provide these doctors with the grant funds they need to perform their lifesaving work. Superheroes come in all forms, but for children and families battling cancer – superheroes wear lab coats."

The $50,000 Hyundai Impact Award will be officially presented to Vanderbilt today, August 16, 2017 at 10 a.m. During the event, Nashville-area children battling cancer will participate in the program's signature Handprint Ceremony, in which they'll dip their hands in paint and place their handprints on a white 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. Their colorful handprints on the official Hope Vehicle represent their individual and collective journeys, hopes and dreams.

"The Hyundai Hope On Wheels program provides important support for pediatric oncology research in an era where funding from federal sources is limited and the advances that can be in the pediatric cancer are enormous. This year's grant and Dr. Adam Esbenshade's research is a great example of this," said Debra Friedman, M.D., Director of Vanderbilt's Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. "Dr. Esbenshade has developed a statistical prediction model for the likelihood of bacterial bloodstream infections in pediatric oncology patients. For many years, these children automatically got intravenous antibiotics for 1-2 days, and in the vast majority, there was no infection. Now, using the model, antibiotics are used only for those at highest risk of infection, saving the vast majority of children from unnecessary antibiotics. This reduces risks of complications, development of antibiotic-resistant germs, burden on families and health care costs."

Doctors and researchers that receive a grant from Hope On Wheels are named Hyundai Scholars and are presented with a special lab coat. This year, Hope On Wheels will further recognize its Hyundai Scholars for their incredible efforts on behalf of children battling cancer through a campaign called "Superheroes Wear Lab Coats." The video series will showcase their lifesaving work. To learn more about the campaign, please visit HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org.  

For more information about Hyundai Hope On Wheels and to view a complete list of this year's grant winners, please visit HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org/research. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram at facebook.com/HyundaiHopeOnWheels, twitter.com/HopeOnWheels or instagram.com/HyundaiHopeOnWheels. 

HYUNDAI HOPE ON WHEELS
Hyundai Hope On Wheels® is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is committed to finding a cure for childhood cancer. Launched in 1998, Hyundai Hope On Wheels provides grants to eligible institutions nationwide that are pursuing life-saving research and innovative treatments for the disease. HHOW is one of the largest non-profit funders of pediatric cancer research in the country, and primary funding for Hyundai Hope On Wheels comes from Hyundai Motor America and its more than 835 U.S. dealers. Since its inception, Hyundai Hope On Wheels has awarded more than $130 million towards childhood cancer research in pursuit of a cure.

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through 835 dealerships nationwide. All new Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes a 5-year/60,000-mile fully-transferable new vehicle limited warranty, Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty and five years of complimentary Roadside Assistance.

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SOURCE Hyundai Hope On Wheels